Advent 3: Rebuilding the Temple: Waiting for Joy Ezra 1:1-4; 3:1-4, 10-13, Luke 2:25-32, Psalm 126 (used for Ruth), Psalm 98, Psalm 30
Note: Micah 4-5can also be used throughout Advent
Advent Hymns to Christmas Carol Tunes
Narrative Lectionary Advent Liturgy
More Resources for rest of Advent
Call to Worship
Praise to the Lord our God who is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Our eyes have seen salvation. A light for revelation which you have prepared for all peoples.
Joy to the World! Let us repeat the sounding Joy!
Call to Worship
Sing to the Lord a new Song
God has down marvelous things
God remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of faithfulness
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Call to Worship
Let the seas roar, and all that fills it
Let the world roar and all who live in it
Let the floods clap their hands, let the hills sing together for joy.
The Lord is coming! Praise the Lord!
Prayer of Confession: Lord, we confess that often times it feels like everything is crumbling; our buildings, our homes, our relationships, our savings, our jobs, our faith. You promise us that all can be rebuilt, in such a way that it will not even be recognizable. Some people will cry at the changes, others will shout out with joy. Teach us how to be part of the rebuilding, the joy and the love, we pray. Amen.
Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that we are waiting for joy to come. We don’t feel joy to the world, we feel like the waiting goes on forever. Sometimes, the growing and the changes that need to be made and instead of celebrating the changes, we cry out in the midst of it all. Hold us while we cry, we pray, and help us to do the work and the waiting to be transformed we pray.
Prayer of Dedication/the Day: As we wait for you and dwell deeply into the season of Advent we pray that you rebuild us. Transform the work we do into works of faith, Strengthen the support we give to one another with the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and light our hearts on fire with the light of the Holy Spirit we pray.
Eucharist Prayer: Lord God, remind us that you are the alpha and omega. At the beginning of the earth you breathed your spirit across the oceans, and they clapped for joy, and then you gently awakened us with your breath. You are with us from our first laugh, to our first cry. You help us when we are building up and when we are falling up. You restore our souls, refresh our spirits and rebuild our faith. Send your spirit onto these elements so that we might be restored, refreshed and rebuilt we pray.
Hymns: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Joy to the World, Come Sing to God (Psalm 30 Ellacombe), When God Delivered Israel (Psalm 126), God of Ages Whose Almighty Hand, Savior of the Nations, Come, Com Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (which really could be seen as more prophetic than Christmas-day)
With Children: Knock over towers and rebuild, build things with Clay, Cry/Shout at the same time and see if you can tell the difference, Create a chain of prayers (paper chain) perhaps hang it on a Christmas tree, Create Christmas Cards for those in need
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